Families
by princess addy
Summary: Just because Harry's an orphan doesn't mean he has no family.  Harry and Hermione talk about different types of families after Ron storms out in Deathly Hallows. Something missing from both book and movie.


**This is ****during Deathly Hallows, not long after Ron storms off:**

Harry sat on his bunk in the tent, deep in thought. He knew Hermione was in the tent somewhere; he could hear her tapping her fingers against the pages of the book as she read. Even though Harry could her Hermione in the tent, he could not see her. He figured she was probably at the table where she usually left her books. The layout of the tent was such that Harry could not see that room from his bunk.

Without their mission and being constantly on the run, this might have been a lot of fun. How many people got to live with their two best friends in a pup tent with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and sitting area? The whole bigger-inside-than-out thing was not nearly so much fun now as it had been a few years ago at the Quidditch World Cup. Somehow, being forced to live in a tent because you're being hunted down while trying to save the world was a lot different than camping out for a special event with your best friend's family.

It was probably a good thing that Hermione had brought a magic tent that was so much bigger than it looked. It meant that Harry, Ron and Hermione weren't constantly tripping over each other. A multi-room tent also had the added benefit of some measure of privacy when it was needed. This whole endeavor would be far more difficult if they were using non-magic gear. The three of them would be crammed in like sardines, always in each other's space, and getting on each other's nerves. Even without the locket, it wouldn't have taken this long for Ron to go storming off. (Not that Harry had any experience in camping muggle-style. The Dursley's were far too dull, fussy and spoiled to try anything as difficult, unpredictable or dirty as camping.) One thing Harry could figure out for himself about muggle camping was: if a muggle tent only looked big enough to fit two sleeping bags from the outside, it was not set up like a 5 room cottage on the inside.

Harry was very glad they had this particular tent. It gave him space to think about what had happened. He sat on his bunk, pondering what his best friend had just yelled at him before running off. "It's not true," he said aloud. "Not really."

"Did you say something, Harry?" Hermione's head appeared around the corner of the canvas wall.

Harry waved her in. "I was just thinking about what Ron said."

"About your parent's?"

Harry nodded. "And other things. He said I didn't have any family." Harry paused as he considered how to explain his thoughts. "Technically, I suppose that's true," he continued. "I am an orphan; my parent's are dead and, for the most part, my only living relatives refuse to acknowledge my very existence." Harry tilted his head to one side and looked at Hermione. "In a way, I suppose you're an orphan now, too," he said quietly. "Your parents might be still alive, but they don't know you exist."

Hermione nodded sadly and looked down at her hands.

"But that doesn't mean either of us is without a family," Harry said firmly.

Hermione raised her head to look at her friend.

Seeing the mildly confused expression on his friends face, Harry decided to try approaching this idea from a different direction. "Hermione, tell me some ways to define the word family," he requested.

Hermione thought for a moment. "Well," She used the confident tone she had used so often in school to answer her teachers and lecture her classmates. "Family can be defined as a group of individuals related biologically or through marriage or adoption…"

Harry nodded. "But we've pretty much eliminated that definition," he said. "Keep going."

"Ok." Hermione took a deep breath. "A group of similar or closely related objects or organisms."

Harry nodded for her to continue.

"The combined members of a household," Hermione listed, "or a group of people living together under a common authority." She paused. "Or, family could refer to a cooperative unit made up of like minded individuals working towards a common goal. There are also any number of less exact definitions and cultural connotations and…'

Harry laughed. "Hermione stop," he interrupted. "I think that's enough."

Hermione's mouth snapped shut as her stream of words was cut off.

"See, I do have a family," Harry told her. "I have you and Ron and Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys and the Order." Harry got up and wrapped one arm around his friend's shoulders. "And best of all, they're your family now, too."

Hermione wrapped her arm around Harry's waist and gave him a quick, friendly hug.

"And when Ron stops to think about it, he'll know that his family is my family, too." Harry smiled. "I think he's known that ever since his mother knitted me that ridiculous pullover for Christmas when we were in first year."

Hermione giggled. "Well, if that doesn't prove you're family, what does?" she teased.

Harry knew the answer to that. "Wearing the darn thing in public," he answered. They both laughed

After a moment Harry walked back over to his bunk and lay back to stare at the ceiling. Hermione sat quietly and stared at the tent flap for a moment. As Hermione sighed and rose from her seat to return to her reading, Harry called out.

"Don't worry too much about Ron, ok? He'll be back. He's not the type to turn his back on family, no matter what kind of family it might be."


End file.
